If you read the pages of SOWNY with any regularity (with or without Ex Lax) you’ll know it’s been a pretty strange year in local broadcasting. Because I basically have no life, here’s a list of the biggest stories of the year highlighted on this board starting in January 2016.
 
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January

January 4
 
CTV’s Ashley Rowe Becomes A Big Deal In Buffalo
 
I had no idea she was considered a big deal here, but WKBW’s Channel 7 evidently saw something no one at Channel 9 did, making her the big centerpiece anchor of their attempted ratings comeback. So far, the results haven’t entirely matched the hype.
 
January 7
 
Bill Carroll Is Leavin’ L.A.
 
There was a lot of speculation about why, but Bill Carroll’s wife and KFI both confirm online that Bill Carroll will be leaving the station – and eventually the States – altogether. Soon after, his AM640 gig ends and he winds up in, of all places, CFRA in Ottawa.

January 8
 
Mike Cooper Retires
 
Veteran Toronto broadcaster and CHFI stalwart Mike Cooper announces he’s retiring after decades in radio. He’s replaced as co-host a month later by Darren B. Lamb.

January 13
 
Corus Buys Shaw
 
It’s a corporate reshuffling that changes the face of AM640, other radio stations in the chain and the Global Television /Network.
 
January 17
 
Ramblin Lou Schriver Dies
 
One of the most colourful characters in Buffalo radio and the founder of country-formatted WXRL (The “RL” stands for “Ramblin Lou”) is gone at age 86.
 
February

Feb. 29

Gord Martineau Signs Off Quietly At CityNews
 
After an amazing 39-year career spent at City TV, main anchor and arguably the station’s most famous face gives his last goodnight. He told no one about his plans, nothing was announced on air and many employees at the station were as stunned to discover he was leaving as viewers were.
 
For a while, he resurfaces on Bell’s CFRB morning roundtable, a possible slap at his old employer, Rogers.

Feb. 29
 
Charlie Tuna Dies
 
A legendary broadcaster is gone, as Charlie Tuna unexpectedly dies suddenly at age 71. He was one of the true greats based out of California and a well known syndicated voice.
 
March
 
March 10
 
CKVR Vet Bob McIntyre Dies
 
It seemed like he’d been at the Barrie station forever, when longtime weatherman/personality Bob McIntyre passed away. He was only 73.
 
March 11
 
The Return of John Donabie
 
One of Toronto’s favourite radio people (and a frequent SOWNY contributor) is back, this time with a weekend show on CIUT.
 
March 17
 
CRTC Flooded With Complaints About $25 Skinny Basic Package

Who would have thought that the major cable companies would do everything in their power to hide or otherwise obscure their skinny basic packages, which went into effect March 1st? Imagine the SOWNY board’s surprise…
 
March 24

Ghomeshi Off The Hook Legally
 
Disgraced former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi is cleared of the charges against him in court. But the court of public opinion isn’t quite so forgiving.  
 
March 28
 
Wally Crouter Dies
 
The longest running morning man in Toronto and a legend at CFRB passes away at age 92, leaving an unprecedented legacy behind. His longtime producer, Bev Edwards, would sadly follow him at the end of the year.

March 30
 
Dave Agar Retires
 
Another departure at 1010 comes just days later when longtime morning newsman Dave Agar calls it quits.
 
March 31
 
Toronto Gets New AM Radio Station & No One Notices
 
It’s CJRU, a Ryerson outlet at 1280 AM. But with an almost non-existent signal, many wonder why they’d go to all the trouble.
 
April

April 1
 
Jennifer Valentyne Let Go From City TV
 
Just over a month after Gord Martineau leaves, another familiar face is gone from City TV. This time, it’s Jennifer Valentyne and this time, it wasn’t voluntary.
 
April 20
 
Oldies Returning To 1220 AM In St. Catharines – But When?
 
The CRTC grants a licence to a new applicant to revive oldies at the dial position that CHSC once occupied. Grapevine 1220 has until 2018 to get a signal on the air.
 
June

June 1
 
Canada AM Cancelled At CTV
 
It seemed like it had been on forever, but after more than four decades, CTV’s veteran morning show Canada AM suddenly and unexpectedly signed off. The final show aired June 3, which didn’t give viewers much notice. It was replaced during the summer by CTV News Channel and later by Your Morning, hosted by Ben Mulroney and former CBC anchor Anne-Marie Mediwake.
 
June 19

Strombo Out, McLean Back In At HNIC

After loud complaints when it was first announced to the inevitable bow-out, the George Stroumboulopoulos experiment on Hockey Night In Canada comes to a ignominious end. His replacement is an old familiar face – former host Ron MacLean. 

June 27
 
Andy Frost Out As Leafs’ P.A. Announcer
 
His Sundays may still be psychedelic, but the veteran Q radio man’s Saturday nights will be very different after he loses a long time gig. Mike Ross is announced as his replacement.

July
 
July 7
 
Jay Michaels Debuts On 1010 In Guest Host Role
 
Producer extraordinaire and SOWNY board contributor Doug Thompson nails it, as he so often does, when he posts a note here about hearing the former rock jock filling in on RB, saying, “Brand Manager Bendixon should consider a permanent on-air position for this breath of fresh air.” A few months later, Michaels becomes the permanent co-host on the afternoon drive.
 
July 21

Roger Ailes Out At Fox News
 
The man responsible for one of the most controversial news networks neither “reports nor decides” to quit. He’s ousted after a scandal involving sexual harassment allegations against some female employees surface.
 
July 29
 
CKSL Going Silent
 
After years as one of London’s pioneer rock stations and other formats, Bell decides it’s not worth upgrading the transmitting equipment needed to keep CKSL on the air at 1410. So it turns in the licence and the station ceases broadcasting on August 14th, just after midnight.
 
August
 
Aug 10
 
John Saunders Dies
 
Former City TV and ESPN anchor John Saunders leaves the airwaves and the earth way too soon, passing away at only 61 years of age.
 
Aug. 20

The Super Bowl, Simsub and the CRTC

The story that refuses to die is back, after the CRTC reaffirms it will allow American ads to be shown on the 2017 Super Bowl, even as CTV and the NFL go to court to try and stop the idea. Bell eventually wins the right to appeal the decision – but not until after the big game airs. 
 
 Aug. 29
 
CKNT AM 960 Still Not On The Air
 
This one was a long running soap opera that’s still going on. In November 2011, the CRTC granted Mississauga’s Elliott Kerr a news/talk format for that city at 960 on the AM dial. Five years later, plagued with non-stop transmitter troubles, it still wasn’t on the air. Endless extensions followed with a drop dead deadline of the end of November 2016.

But that day came and went, and the owner confirmed to SOWNY that CKNT would not make its debut until at least 2017. So far, there’s no explanation of what’s causing the delay, but it has to be one of the longest radio postponements in Canadian broadcasting history.

September

Sept. 10
 
Chris Mayberry Retires
 
OK, so it’s not the biggest story of the year. But after decades at the Canadian Press and elsewhere, a veteran SOWNY contributor gets a life of (we hope) leisure.
 
Sept. 26
 
Shomi Is No More
 
Rogers and Shaw throw in the towel on Shomi, their streaming service that competes with Bell’s CraveTV in Canada and Netflix in North America. Final day will be November 30th.
 
Sept. 29
 
Goodbye Old CHUM
 
The wrecking ball takes down the historic CHUM studios at 1331 Yonge St. The company later reveals it saved some of the bricks and distributed them to former staff and fans.

October

Oct. 20
 
AM640’s New Line-up
 
In one of the most bizarre and hushed changes in the history of local broadcasting, Corus quietly confirms a new line-up for its troubled AM640 all-talker, putting relative unknowns Matt Gurney and Supriya Dwivedi into mornings, transferring John Oakley to afternoons and changing the times of other station stalwarts, while essentially jettisoning Jeff McArthur for Global’s morning show. In a bizarre decision, it steadfastly refuses to mention anything about the new line-up on air until the Friday before it starts, with hosts on that day saying during their shows that they can “now talk about it.”
 
Oct. 22
 
Jerry Howarth Won’t Say The Name Of Cleveland’s Baseball Team
 
He actually has had a policy against using the name “Indians” for many years, but it became a hot topic after the Jays were facing them for the A.L. championship and the right to move on to the World Series. Howarth looked good but the Jays didn’t, eventually losing the series to the Indians – er - I mean, Cleveland.
 
Howarth later makes the news again, this time with the distressing diagnosis that he’s battling prostate cancer.
 
November

Nov. 14
 
Mike Bullard Charged With Criminal Harassment
 
At first they said he was on a leave of absence. Then it turned into a suspension. And by the time the story of Mike Bullard being charged with criminal harassment finally emerged, 1010’s noon host was gone from CFRB altogether. The allegations are that Bullard kept bothering his ex-girlfriend, City TV reporter Cynthia Mulligan, despite orders to stop. The case remains before the courts, with nothing legally proven yet.
 
Meanwhile, the Canadian comedian has been forced to suffer through it all in silence. “I have nothing,” he told the Toronto Star. “I’m going through hell right now. It’s something I didn’t do.” The case will continue into 2017.
 
Nov. 21

CKAV-FM 106.5 Finally Pulled Off The Air By Court Ruling

After the CRTC tried to pull its licence over various infractions and the powers-that-be got a court order to appeal the decision, CKAV-FM, also known as Aboriginal Voices, the station at 106.5 in Toronto, was finally forced off the air. The outlet pulled its signal just minutes after the court edict was issued. The CRTC, meanwhile, had previously welcomed Aboriginal applicants to apply to replace the troubled station. 
 
December

Dec. 1
 
Pick & Pay Prices Revealed

Officially starting December 1st, the long awaited pick and pay scheme for cable and satellite finally arrives, supposedly letting viewers choose just the channels they want. Most are priced between $4 and $7 each. To absolutely no one’s surprise, buying them individually is more expensive than keeping them in a package. The CRTC vows to monitor the way the companies implement the new policy, but in the end it saves very few any money.
 
Dec. 15

Erin Davis Signs Off At CHFI
 
The year starts with one co-host leaving CHFI for retirement (Mike Cooper in January) and ends with another, Erin Davis, saying her final goodbye just under a year later. Her last show is held at Casa Loma, with Maureen Holloway and Darren B. Lamb scheduled to take over starting January 9th.
 
Dec. 18
 
Scruff Connors Is Gone
 
A tough year gets even tougher. After becoming one of the first 640 Mojo men and with a famous stint at Q107, one of radio’s true originals passes without getting to see the New Year. Scruff Connors had been in ill health for some time.
 
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Well, that’s just a few of the highlights from 2016 on SOWNY. And yeah, I left a lot out because this thing was already way too long. The old Chinese curse would seem to apply to the year just past. “May you live in interesting times.” There’s no reason to believe the times in 2017 won’t be just as interesting. Hope you all have a great 365.

Last edited by RadioActive (December 31, 2016 8:04 pm)